Relief work underway in Hyderabad after downpour

October 3, 2017, 11:05 PM IST

Hyderabad: As many as 140 monsoon emergency teams and other personnel have been deployed to carry out relief and repair work following the heavy rains which pounded Hyderabad for several hours since yesterday, the Telangana government today said.

Three persons were killed in rain-related incidents in the city yesterday.

Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao held a meeting with officials today and directed that steps be taken to drain out water and clear choked drainages. He also asked officials to take up repair of roads.

The heavy rain yesterday led to flooding in several low-lying areas. Water entered houses in many places.

In some areas, the water flow was so strong that vehicles and shanties were swept away. Roads were damaged severely and traffic moved at a snail’s pace at some places this morning.

According to a report by the India Meteorological Department, Golconda area here received 13 cm of rain yesterday, followed by Palakurthi (12 cm) in Warangal district.

Hyderabad city, overall, received more than eight cm of rainfall, the IMD report said.

IMD officials, however, made it clear that it was not a ‘record’ rainfall for the city.

The personnel of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other government bodies continued efforts to restore normalcy in the city.

An official release said the power utilities would provide ex-gratia of Rs four lakh to the family of a man who died of electrocution yesterday.

The GHMC would give Rs two lakh each to the families of two others who died in wall collapse, it said.

The minister directed the officials to attend to the complaints received at the GHMC’s call centre and through the civic body’s mobile app.

The GHMC has set up a special emergency cell to deal with the rain fury. It was also providing food packets to those moved to safer places.

The city water board has said it would put up red flags and boards at manholes to warn people.

The GHMC advised citizens not to stay in dilapidated houses and to follow weather updates on the IMD’s website.

In its weather warning, the IMD said thunderstorm associated with heavy rain is “very likely” to occur at isolated places in all the districts of Telangana tomorrow.

The GHMC also said it had demolished 1,140 out of the 2,182 dilapidated structures in the last six months, and issued notices to the owners and occupants of the remaining buildings. ‘Caution notices’ have been pasted, asking occupants to vacate, on `most dangerous’ premises.